In 2016, the National Women's Soccer League became the first top-flight women's pro soccer league in the United States to make it to a fourth season.

And while two previous iterations of women's pro soccer in America -- the WUSA and WPS -- quickly saw their popularity decline after their inaugural seasons, the NWSL appears to still be on the rise.

After shattering attendance records in 2015 thanks in part to a bump in interest after the USA's FIFA Women's World Cup victory, the NWSL continued to see increasing attendance numbers in 2016. The league posted an average attendance of 5,558 fans per game this year, a more than 10 percent increase from 2015 when the NWSL posted an average per game attendance of 5,046.

NWSL Average Per Game Attendance

Year

Average Attendance

2013

4,271

2014

4,139

2015

5,046

2016

5,558

For the fourth season in a row, the Portland Thorns led the NWSL in attendance numbers. The Thorns, who are the best-supported women's club team in the world, averaged 16,945 fans per game in 2016, up from 15,639 in 2015. No NWSL team has come close to matching Portland's attendance numbers over the league's four seasons.

The rise in league-wide average attendance this year can also partly be attributed to the addition of the Orlando Pride, which joined the league as an expansion club ahead of the 2016 season.

The clubs with the best attendance numbers in the NWSL were once again teams that are owned by MLS organizations. Behind the Pride, the Houston Dash finished third in the league with an average attendance of 5,696 in 2016.

2016 NWSL home attendances by team

Team

Games Played

Total Attendance

Average Attendance

Portland Thorns

10

169,449

16,945

Orlando Pride

10

87,851

8,785

Houston Dash

10

56,963

5,696

Seattle Reign

10

46,018

4,602

Western New York Flash

10

38,683

3,868

Washington Spirit

10

37,817

3,782

Boston Breakers

10

35,704

3,570

FC Kansas City

10

31,624

3,162

Chicago Red Stars

10

30,045

3,005

Sky Blue FC

10

21,621

2,162

League Totals

100

555,775

5,558

But while the league-wide attendance gains were a positive, four individual clubs saw their attendance numbers decrease from 2015 to 2016 and two clubs have been unable to match their attendance numbers from the league's inaugural season in 2013 in any subsequent year.

The Chicago Red Stars, Houston Dash, Washington Spirit and Sky Blue FC all saw their attendance numbers decrease from 2015 to 2016. Sky Blue FC has posted the lowest attendance in the NWSL in all four of the league's seasons.

The Western New York Flash and FC Kansas City saw gains in attendance from 2015 to 2016, but neither club has been able to match its average attendance record from 2013.

While some NWSL clubs have struggled to increase their fanbases from season-to-season, the upward trajectory of league-wide attendance numbers could continue in 2017.

For the first time since 2014, the NWSL will not have to deal with a World Cup or Olympics disrupting play midseason and the league's top national team players will be with their NWSL clubs for nearly the entire year.